Israel, Trump Peace Council Agree on Gaza Demilitarization

The Trump administration's Peace Council issued a formal statement Monday evening outlining agreements reached with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu regarding implementation of President Trump's 20-point peace plan for Gaza.

According to the announcement, the two sides have agreed to establish two parallel joint working groups focused on achieving complete demilitarization of the Gaza Strip. Under the terms of the agreement, Israeli military forces will not redeploy outside Gaza until Hamas has been fully disarmed and the entire territory demilitarized. The framework calls for removal of all weaponry, both light and heavy arms, as well as destruction of the tunnel network throughout the coastal enclave.

The Peace Council's statement emphasized that all collected weapons will be dismantled in a manner that prevents their future use. Israel retains full rights to self-defense, with the statement clarifying: "If Hamas turns to terror, violence, or attempts to rearm, Israel will maintain the right to act accordingly."

The Peace Council informed Netanyahu that Hamas has committed to complete disarmament and immediate cessation of all military activity in Gaza, including rearmament efforts and tunnel digging. In return, the prime minister confirmed Israel would fulfill previous commitments that aided U.S. efforts to secure the release of all living hostages and, tragically, the bodies of those killed in captivity.

To ensure close coordination, both parties agreed to immediately establish two joint working groups. The first will focus on security and Gaza's demilitarization, which Israel and the Peace Council are determined to complete fully and rapidly. The second will address basic needs, sanitation, clean water, and other public health issues for Gaza residents.

The agreements follow a meeting in Egypt between Jared Kushner, President Trump's special envoy, and senior Hamas officials. During the session, Kushner applied significant pressure on the organization's representatives, demanding immediate implementation of their disarmament commitments. Kushner was accompanied by other senior international figures, including Peace Council Secretary-General Nikolai Mladenov and former British Prime Minister Tony Blair.

With President Trump's backing, the parties share clear objectives: a fully demilitarized and de-radicalized Gaza that poses no threat to Israel, where Gaza residents can aspire to prosperity and dignity through peaceful means.

The agreements come against a backdrop of tension in the first security cabinet meeting since Netanyahu's return from the White House. National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir sharply criticized what he claimed was Netanyahu's approval to halt strikes in Gaza except for thwarting immediate threats. "Not a day should pass without thwarting operations in Gaza. This isn't tactical, it's strategic," Ben-Gvir stated forcefully.

Netanyahu responded with what appeared to be a veiled reference to Ben-Gvir's political campaigning ahead of elections. "In the next ninety days, nothing will be tactical," Netanyahu said, clearly alluding to the election period. Ben-Gvir fired back: "For four years I've been demanding thwarting operations, not just in these ninety days... There are those who really only talk before elections, but I've been demanding this every week for four years."

Israeli forces in Gaza recently received new operational guidelines ahead of attempts to implement the Peace Council's plan. Under the directive, strikes will now be conducted only to remove immediate threats to forces and Israeli civilians, with targeted operations requiring approval from the military chief of staff and political leadership.